Speedy response for BCC’s wall

The Malawi Government, through the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Culture, has moved in swiftly to repair the perimeter fence of the Blantyre Cultural Centre which was damaged by heavy rains two weeks ago.

The rains, which caused havoc in many parts of the country, demolished part of the fence, compounding problems which BCC has faced since the operations of the centre were transferred from the French government to Malawi.

The buildings are run down, with windowpanes and toilets broken, books in tatters and the public address systems stolen.

There is a ray of hope, however, with the completion of the amphitheatre and a repainted signpost of the entertainment mecca that matches with the thatched grass at the amphitheatre.

The work is far from done and Minister of Information, Tourism, Wildlife and Culture KondwaniNankhumwa was noncommittal about the timeframe of the rehabilitation project because, he said, there has never been a time when funding had been enough to carter for the needs of the centre.

“We need almost K400 million but the money that was allocated in the 20014/15 budget to the Blantyre Cultural Centre is only K75 million. We are in a process of identifying a contractor to start the project, which will be done in phases,” said Nankhumwa.

He cautioned, however, that working in phases would end up costing more than K400 million due to, among other reasons, the fluctuation of the kwacha over time.